Selenium in agriculture and the environment

Weanling rats were fed a basal diet or this diet plus 02, 10, 20 or 40 mg/kg selenium (Se) as either selenite or selenomethionine (SeM) Except at the 02 mg/kg Se level, Se accumulated in all tissues at higher levels when SeM was fed than when selenite was given, and the magnitude of difference became more pronounced with increasing levels of dietary Se This was particularly true for muscle and brain Se levels in whole blood, testes, kidney and lungs were not significantly different between rats fed 02 mg/kg Se as selenite or as SeM, but the Se levels in liver, muscle and brain were higher in rats fed SeM Although the tissue Se concentrations differed markedly, there were no differences in the glutathione peroxidase (GPX) activity in tissues of rats fed SeM rather than selenite The percentage of Se associated with GPX was lower in all tissues from rats fed SeM than in those from rats fed selenite These results indicate that the chemical forms of dietary Se can have a marked influence on biological responses, including bioavailability of dietary Se

Effects of various dietary levels of selenium as selenite or selenomethionine on tissue selenium levels and glutathione peroxidase activity in rats.

Use of dietary vitamin E and selenium (Se) to increase the shelf life of modified atmosphere packaged light lamb meat.

Weanling male rats were fed a basal selenium (Se)-deficient diet or this diet plus 2 ppm Se as either selenite, selenocystine (SeCys) or selenomethionine (SeMet) for 9 wk. The rats were killed by decapitation while anesthetized with ether, and tissues were assayed for glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and selenocysteine lyase activities, and for Se content. Dietary Se had no effect upon the activity of tissue selenocysteine lyase. This activity was highest in the liver, followed by kidney, muscle and testis in decreasing order. Although the GPx activity was lower in tissues of the Se-deficient rats, there were no significant differences in its activity between animals given the different chemical forms of dietary Se. Except for the kidney, the tissue Se concentrations were similar in rats fed selenite or SeCys, but the Se content in testis, muscle, pancreas, heart, spleen, whole blood, erythrocytes and plasma was significantly higher in rats fed SeMet than in those fed either selenite or SeCys. The greatest increase due to SeMet compared with the selenite and SeCys treatments was about 10-fold in the muscle compared with 1.3- to 3.6-fold for the other tissues.

Effects of dietary selenite, selenocystine and selenomethionine on selenocysteine lyase and glutathione peroxidase activities and on selenium levels in rat tissues.

W. T. Ely

Papers

Natural dietary selenium, α-tocopherol and effect on tissue selenium.

Iron, zinc and copper in mare's milk.